[shan2129]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Hi shan2129,

Sorry to hear the state of your Bull, I too have the same color (Twilight) and it is surprising to hear this comment from RE.

I would recommend you check J.Ravi Sir's thread as he too has had a tank replacement and it was done successfully.

Yes, I did that. The thread is really helpful

also escalate this to the highest level at RE using all Public forums and IT tools. your signature suggests you are one of us (IT Breed ) guy.

Retain your Bull and fight it out, as that's the way RE satisfies it owners

haha, yes, we do have a different breed. No questions about that . And yes, I have emailed a guy in Lucknow who is a Regional After Sales Support head. He says & i quote " Every problem with your Bull will be fixed before 30th of this month". I even have an email ready to be sent to Siddharth Lal ( if it comes to that ).

Hoping for the best & thanks for your motivating words. I take care of my TB with full commitment & facing continous problems threw me off track.

[shan2129]

1 year, 4 month Update

Hey guys,

Its been an experience of a lifetime riding my TB500 this past year. I did some very long distances & some really high speeds. I am pretty much happy with the overall experience & engine build quality. Previously, on doing 130 any RE would creek & bleed. Now, on a continuous 120-130 run, my TB flew like a bird and made so extra sounds. I liked that.

In the meanwhile, I did a few changes to my Bird.

Added
1. Red LED Turn signals
2. Bar end mirrors
3. Pirelli Sports Demon 120-80-18
4. Sans Glasswool Goldstar
5. A Crash Guard

Minor Problem

For some reason, for the past month or so, my TB500 started Missing.. ( misfire ) ( I think both are same things right ? )
For this, I checked :
1. Spark plugs ( opened & cleaned them )
2. Opened & cleaned the Air filter
3. Checked Engine Oil

Everything was ok. But the missing problem persists. Mechanics are unable to make anything out of it. I would really appreciate some help on this

Just to mention

After installing the Sans Goldstar with Glasswool, somehow the top-end performance has gone down. the initial and mid levels have increased considerably, but the top-end power seems to have gone down.

[P.S.]

Hi Shan2129,

I read your thread & find it quite usefull as I plan to tour in doon & mussorie a lot. (Visit minimum twice a year as have family there & love the hills)

Could you please tell me:
1) Do you face any issues handling (uphill or down)
2) If you've tried someones classic 500 on the same route & compare

Thanks
PS

[rajneeesh]

Originally Posted by shan2129

1 year, 4 month Update

Hey guys,


After installing the Sans Goldstar with Glasswool, somehow the top-end performance has gone down. the initial and mid levels have increased considerably, but the top-end power seems to have gone down.

Is Sans Goldstar an exhaust. If so it may be the reson for the bike missing as well as drop in performance. Most after market exhaust systems are not well designed and end up creating problems.

[shan2129]

Originally Posted by P.S.

Hi Shan2129,

I read your thread & find it quite usefull as I plan to tour in doon & mussorie a lot. (Visit minimum twice a year as have family there & love the hills)

Could you please tell me:
1) Do you face any issues handling (uphill or down)
2) If you've tried someones classic 500 on the same route & compare

Thanks
PS

That's nice to know. When comparing TB & Classic, I would any day go for a TB to tour or ride it in long distances. Classic is a fun machine to ride, but low ground clearance & Retro ride posture makes it less comfortable to ride.
TB is really good in cutting corners when riding up or down hill from Mussorie. To be really straight forward, in my group, my TB is known to lead all the other Bulls ( Not bragging ).

Almost all my Group members have Classics & STD. On comparing a DS500 or CL500, I would still prefer TB500 any day. I have ridden a Classic 500 uphill almost 20 times and same amount downhill. Always, the feeling was the same for Thunderbird.

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Is Sans Goldstar an exhaust. If so it may be the reson for the bike missing as well as drop in performance. Most after market exhaust systems are not well designed and end up creating problems.

Yeah Rajneeesh, I too feel the same. Though, Sans is a big name these days. I really feel that Aftermarket exhaust is a serious no no when it comes to a 500.

I installed my OE muffler back & things do seem normal now.

[P.S.]

Originally Posted by shan2129

When comparing TB & Classic, I would any day go for a TB to tour or ride it in long distances.

TB is really good in cutting corners when riding up or down hill from Mussorie.

Almost all my Group members have Classics & STD. On comparing a DS500 or CL500, I would still prefer TB500 any day. I have ridden a Classic 500 uphill almost 20 times and same amount downhill. Always, the feeling was the same for Thunderbird.

Great to hear this!!!!!
Thanks a ton sir.

Hopefully shall look you up next time in my favourite city. In case i've got my bike by then, maybe ride up for a chai & pakoras

[shan2129]

Originally Posted by P.S.

Great to hear this!!!!!
Thanks a ton sir.

Hopefully shall look you up next time in my favourite city. In case i've got my bike by then, maybe ride up for a chai & pakoras

Sure sir, that would be great

[shan2129]

Update : 8000 Kms & 1 year 8 months update



MY TB500 looks & performs differently now. After 8200 Kms, in which most are Rides with my Group " Country Side Riders ". My TB feels as new as it done, when I first took her home. Amazing Feel of power & comfort.

Some of the changes I have done are:
Cosmetic:
1. Custom handlebar
2. Custom LED Turn lights
3. Bar End mirrors
4. Custom Seats
5. Custom Carbon fiber vinyl
6. Exhaust Wrap
7. Matt Finish

Performance:

1. Custom ECU
2. Custom Mapping ( My own )
3. Goldstar (baffles ) by sans
4. 0900 K&N filter
5. Platinum Iridium as main plug & Platinum 2 pin as secondary.

[rakesh_r]

Some more pics would be welcome.From where did you buy the LED indicators?

[shan2129]

Here are some of the pictures from my recent rides.

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Some more pics would be welcome.From where did you buy the LED indicators?

ebay

[CoolCarNi]

Hi Shan,

Last week had lot of free time and did a test drive TB as well as classic 500. Within 5 minutes of test drive, my shoulders were paining like hell. What's your experience like over a year? Did you make any changes to the handle bar or you are used to the pain!

BTW, I am 6-4"! Do all tall drivers have similar experience?

Secondly, all these niggles and poor workmanship in terms of paint quality and all gets me scared. I am seriously having second thoughts on owning one though I am loving it!

[rajneeesh]

Hi CoolCarNi,

I have had a TBTS 500 for close to two years and have clocked 8000 LM. I have had no mmajor issues with the bike ( except for fuses blowing off one in a while and a rear disc pad repalacement). The workmanship and quality are much better from the earlier RE Bikes.

I have found th bike to be really comfortable ( I am short at 5-6"). the longest I have ridden in a single day is approx 570 KM. However J Ravi has quite a few long rides
( over 1000 Km in a day on some occassions) and he too has not reported any discomfort.

In fact on my trip to Chandigarh & Back ( morning - evening) I was a klot more comfortable than what I am in case I do the same trip in my FIgo/ SX4.

[shan2129]

I have done quite a few trips on my TB500. Recently, did a 1400Km stretch to Munsiyari ( place in kumaon region of Uttarakhand ). TB handles beautifully, the handlebar comes off a Harley & takes care of my Lower back pain somehow.

There is no discomfort or niggles in this bike, nothing major than fuses blowing off.

Me & my group ( Country Side Riders ) are leaving for Leh in June & am taking my TB

[shan2129]

Hey Guys,

Been a long time since I updated this thread. But this is a special time. I am leaving for Leh Ladakh, pangong, sach pass, from Dehradun on 12th June 2015. My bike is now 21000 kms old & still looks a beauty

Had a question. If somebody can answer it.

Q. Stock silencer ( muffler ) or RE original off road silencer for TB ? I already have the latter one installed.

Q. Injector cleaning required ?

Q. Stock Air filter or K&N ?

[ArizonaJim]

I'm not sure what the silencer question is but if your happy with your off road silencer, just grin and ride.

The only way to clean the fuel injector is to add a good brand of fuel injector cleaner to the gasoline and ride.
Notice that most fuel injector cleaners are sized for use in automobiles so they treat large quantities of petrol.
With the small (compared with an automobile) fuel tank on your motorcycle, divide the number of liters of fuel the solvent is supposed to treat and multiply that times the size of your bikes fuel tank. For instance, your fuel tank may be only 1/4th the size of the tank the bottle is intended to be used in. If so, add 1/4 of the bottle of cleaner.
Adding the right amount isn't rocket science so you don't have to do any real accurate measuring. Just come close to the right amount and you'll be fine.

Ah. The old air cleaner question.
Major heated debates have been known to happen when this subject is breached.

That said, there is nothing wrong with the stock Royal Enfield air cleaner. It is sized large enough to supply all the air your motorcycle needs. It also does an excellent job of removing the fine dust particles that can harm your engine.

The K&N (and similar brands) can allow more air thru the filter body but it does this by allowing larger particles of dirt thru it.

I should clarify that by saying it may allow more air and dirt thru it.

The amount of dirt and air that can pass thru a K&N filter is dependent on how much of the "special" oil is applied to the filter element.

As an example, when K&N created their filter that is designed specifically for the Royal Enfield UCE motorcycles, I bought one.

Having never used their product, I gave the filter element a good dosing of the oil and installed it into my 500cc, G5.

My motorcycle instantly showed a LARGE drop in power (as measured by my butt dynamometer) when accelerating away from stop lights.

Removing the new air filter, I built a test apparatus to measure the airflow thru the filter.
This showed that it was only passing about 3/4 of the air that would pass thru the OEM filter.

Cleaning all of the oil from the K&N I tested it dry.
In its dry condition it passed about 1/4 more air thru it than the OEM filter but there was no way I was going to use it that way on my motorcycle.

A light spraying of the special oil needed to make the K&N actually filter some dirt out of the air resulted in it being about as restrictive as the OEM filter.

I did notice some loss of power even with the lightly oiled K&N and I attribute this to the size of the K&N filter body.

It is larger than the RE, OEM filter and at least in my G5 (The American model of the Electra with the chrome Hot Dog covers), I believe this larger outside diameter actually blocks off the filter air supply outlet from the box (plenum) that feeds the throttle body.

I believe the K&N was developed using the Royal Enfield Classic 500 and its air filter plenum's different shape may not cause the problem I envision.

Anyway, to make a long story shorter, the K&N filter left me $50 usd (3125 rupees) poorer with a power loss, so I went back to the OEM filter and am quite happy with it.